3 Zero-Cost Ways for Small Businesses to Stay Connected With Customers During COVID-19

Photo: Smith House Photography

In times of crisis, businesses are put to the test—supply chains are disrupted and profit margins are compromised—and the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly no exception. By shuttering offices, canceling events, and clearing out public spaces like restaurants, malls, salons, and fitness studios, the coronavirus’ impact on businesses—especially those that don’t have the resources of Fortune 500 companies—can’t be overstated. In other words, small businesses need our support now more than ever.

That’s why we've partnered with our friends at Messenger from Facebook to share simple, zero-cost ways you can boost your business and drive sales by staying connected with your customers during the COVID-19 crisis. No matter the size of your company, whether you’re a freelance graphic designer or a local coffee shop owner with several employees on the payroll, Messenger is here to support you every step of the way with free, easy-to-use messaging tools. 

Ahead, we're sharing some zero-cost ways you can amplify your small business right now, from providing customers with important information to setting up automated responses to frequently asked questions such as store closures, business hours, and more. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be sharing more ways for small business owners to boost their business with Messenger, so be sure to keep an eye on this space for the next installment in the series. Trust us, you won’t want to miss it!

During these uncertain times, it’s crucial to let your customer’s know that you’re still available to connect with them virtually. To stay in touch, be sure to turn on Page Messaging. That way, you can easily chat with your community and field everything from customer service requests to questions about your products or services.

Pro tip: You can let your customers know that you're available to be reached by Messenger by creating a post on your page with the Send Message CTA. To do this, create your post and choose "Get Messages" before publishing. 

For more tips and tricks, here’s a guide to Page Messaging.

While your brick-and-mortar may be closed during the COVID-19 crisis, leveraging Messenger Instant Replies is an easy way to virtually stay connected with your customers. With Instant Replies, you can let customers know that you'll get back to them soon or simply thank them for contacting your Page.

Not only is instant messaging convenient, but it can also help your small business build relationships and inspire trust with customers. In fact, a Facebook-commissioned study found that 66% of people said being able to send a message to a business made them feel more confident in the brand.

To get started, here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up Instant Replies.

Communicating with customers is more important now than ever before—but seeing as we’re in the midst of a pandemic that has disrupted nearly every aspect of our every day lives, you may not be able to personally reply to each and every message that your business receives via Messenger (as much you may like to!).

To ensure that your customers receive a timely response even when you’re not available, you can set up Saved Replies to automatically (and immediately!) answer frequently asked questions like, “What time do you open on Monday?,” “Is your store currently closed?,” “What’s your phone number?” and more.

You can also let them know that you’re unavailable by utilizing Away Messages. Letting them know that you’re away will help will keep them up-to-date on your availability and manage their expectations for when to expect a reply.

You can schedule your Page's messaging status to match your business hours or manually change your Page's messaging status to away whenever necessary. You can also personalize your Away Message so that you can let them know when you’ll be back online and available to chat or answer any questions they might have.

To get started, here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up Saved Replies and utilizing Away Messages.

Want to learn how to get started with Messenger for your business? Take this free course from Facebook Blueprint for a deeper dive.

MORE ON THE BLOG

“It’s So Important to Pay Attention to What Scares You"—Lennon Stella's Debut Album Will Give You Goosebumps (the Good Kind)

Courtesy of Columbia Records

When Lennon Stella answers my call, her voice is soft and sweet, but from the moment she starts answering my questions, it becomes immediately clear that this talented musician isn’t afraid to push past her comfort zone and enter unchartered territory either.

In fact, what scares her is what drives her. The talented singer-songwriter releases her debut album today—Three. Two. One.—and despite her tour being canceled (thanks to COVID-19), Stella is feeling very optimistic, and despite initial concerns, her fans have rallied around her in support.

If the success of her new song (and accompanying video), Fear of Being Alone is any indication, this album is going to be huge. Read on for our interview with Stella as she opens up to Create & Cultivate about the new album, canceling the tour, a behind-the-scenes look into the filming of Fear of Being Alone, and what she’ll be singing for her exclusive live performance at our Money Moves Digital Summit on May 2, 2020.

CREATE & CULTIVATE: So first off, major congrats on the new album—Three. Two. One. How do you feel?

LENNON STELLA: Putting an album out is like getting to know somebody entirely—you get to know them through the album, as an artist, and as a person. I just wanted it to be telling different stories (in this album) than I had before.

Your U.S. tour was supposed to kick off in May and has been postponed due to the pandemic. What was your initial reaction to the news and what do you have planned for the launch instead?

It was really unfortunate and upsetting, but at the same time, I’m trying to trust in the universe. And honestly, I’m just glad that the music and the album itself can come out.

I was so happy with how the response has been. I think everybody was so scared there would be a big backlash but somehow everyone has been so understanding and completely reassuring that they will be there no matter what month the tour is. It’s really sweet and makes me feel grateful to have such a supportive tribe. It’s really rare to feel no hate and no negativity.

The silver lining in all of this is how much it has forced us to be creative. Your Fear of Being Alone video is a perfect example. Shot in your living room during quarantine with your mom and boyfriend, and friend CeCe who dropped off all the lights. Can you talk us through this video? How did you come up with the concept, what it was like to shoot, and what were some of the biggest challenges? 

“My friend, CeCe really understands me and the way I like things. So she came over, and then me, my mom, and my boyfriend were kind of just winging it and getting experimental and creative. We loved the idea of it being at night with the lights on the outside, so there was a shadow from the lights. It all came together as we were doing it—just having fun. We moved everything out of my living room and filmed it all in there.

Honestly, it’s my favorite video that I’ve done so far. It was so fulfilling. When I was thrown in the space to make a video all in one night at home and that we were able to do that was so exciting. I felt so much more love than I’ve ever received from a video. I think it’s because of how it was done. It’s obvious that there weren’t any other people pushing me—it’s very much just me. I think that’s why people were able to connect with it.

“Find the things that intimidate you, and know that’s where you should shoot towards because it scares you for a reason.”

Does this style of self-made video inspire you for the future? Do you think we will see more of creativity in the music space as a result of quarantine?  

I want to see now, and moving forward, what happens when I try to brainstorm on my own before I go to other people for their ideas and push myself a lot more creatively. I want to trust myself a lot more and trust my vision.

One thing that has been nice is seeing you film more acoustic videos on YouTube from home. This feels very authentic to where you began. What more can we expect to see from you during quarantine? Has it inspired you to write new songs?

I forgot how great it feels to play guitar and play the piano, and be alone with it for a bit. I don’t give myself that time or carve that out anymore. Being at home has been so nice, I’m doing acoustic versions for all my songs. What people respond to the most is when it’s really just me and the piano or me and the guitar and me not overthinking it. It’s been really nice to have time to do that and just be creative.

In an interview with you for our CC100, you mentioned that your writing process typically involves a session with you and a producer and another writer where you just write about how you’re feeling at that time. Are you still doing that via zoom now? How has quarantine changed your process or enhanced it?

I haven’t been writing because I’ve been busy putting the album out and doing all of the promo that goes along with that. I’m sure that as soon as the album is out in the world though I will immediately go back to writing.

This album proves you have really grown as an artist—you are so expressive in your vocals and the lyrics. How have you cultivated that confidence to be yourself and not be tied down by limitations? 

I think it’s so important to pay attention to what scares you and what you’re afraid of and to go for that. Find the things that intimidate you, and know that’s where you should shoot towards because it scares you for a reason. I think it’s about finding something that really rings true to you, that’s deep inside you—you have to trust that and follow that.

This is a particularly hard time for musicians who can’t connect 1:1 with their fans and their music. What advice do you have for your fellow musicians who are going through it right now and how can we, as fans, support them? 

It’s been really cool to see the way that we’re all connecting through social media. Because that’s what it’s originally all about. I think we’ve lost our way as far as Instagram goes and getting sucked into the toxic side of it. But ultimately it’s a way to connect and this time has really shown that.

To learn more or to purchase the new album (and exclusive merch!), visit LennonStella.com.

Don’t forget to buy your tickets to the Money Moves Digital Summit to see Lennon Stella perform three acoustic versions of her songs from the new album Three. Two. One.

Visit, createcultivate.com/money-moves-2020

Three. Two. One. Album By Lennon Stella

Shop Now

MORE ON THE BLOG

C&C Classifieds: TOMS, New York Post, Carbon38, & More!

Happy Thursday! Check out these new digital gigs from Almost 30, Amy Porterfield, Hampton Water Wine Co., and more.

FEATURED JOBS

Social Media Manager, Hampton Water Rosé- Remote

Graphic Design Intern, Almost 30- Los Angeles, CA

Social Media Coordinator, Amy Porterfield Inc.- San Diego, CA

Marketing Project Manager, Amy Porterfield Inc.- Remote

Account Executive (Part-Time ), Joy Energy Time- Remote

Associate Marketing Manager, Clif Bar & Company - Emeryville, CA

LOS ANGELES   

Social Media Manager, Carbon38

Digital Content Manager, TOMS

Client Success Manager, Twitch

Sr. Social Media & Community Manager, HUM Nutrition

Digital Marketing Associate, Murad

Brand Strategist,  Atlantic Records

NEW YORK CITY

Writer/Editor, New York Post

Email Marketing Manager, BARK

Sales Planner, Bleacher Report

 Head of Marketing, U.S., Depop

Amazon Ecommerce Manager, TULA Skincare

Content Marketing Specialist, BBC

REMOTE

Growth Marketing Lead, Otis

Marketing Contract Writer, Silver Air

Jr. Copywriter, Something Massive

Communications Manager, Habitat For Humanity International

Sr. Copywriter, Wikimedia Foundation

Key Account Manager, Maesa

Ask an Expert: How to Develop a Content Marketing Strategy That Resonates During COVID-19

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Vlada Karpovich for Pexels

We’re in the midst of a pandemic, and there is no doubt that emotions are running high. As a marketing agency, it’s our job at Elevate My Brand to know when to adjust and pivot our own, as well as our client’s, marketing strategies. Because of all that’s happening with COVID19, you’ll likely have to adjust your messaging and be strategic in the way you approach your audience. Here’s how.

Step Up Your PR

While now may not be the time to be pushing sales, it’s a great time to step up your PR presence and get your name out there. Times are uncertain, but if anything is true, it’s that we’re all in this together. When COVID-19 started to unfold, the first thing I thought was, “How can I be of service to those who are struggling?”

As a small business owner myself, I saw it as my responsibility to use my expertise to help those around me. So, I wrote an article on 5 Marketing Tips to Stay Profitable During the COVID-19 Pandemic and our team worked their PR magic to push that article everywhere, with one goal: to reach and help as many people as possible during this difficult time. But one and done doesn’t cut it anymore, so we also penned the follow-up article, How to Elevate Your Brand, Strategize, and Execute in These Strange Days to give the next steps and a more positive future-looking perspective on how to approach things now that we’ve been in it for a few weeks. Things are changing rapidly, it’s your duty to support your community with whatever gifts you have. When you start there, you can’t go wrong and it’s clear that you aren’t tone-deaf or tackily selling.

With everyone shifting their focus to digital, now is also a great time to push your message out on socials via content collaborations. Instagram Lives have skyrocketed in popularity, with many large platforms hosting live takeovers, such as Create & Cultivate’s Ask An Expert series, which you have hopefully had a chance to see! Since we’ve all been #WFH, social media usage and engagement have increased over 30% so take advantage of this and reach out to as many sources as possible to see if they are willing to share your message.

Not only will you be helping your community, but you’ll be building brand awareness as well. This means that when things do open back up, you’ll have built some new top of mind awareness that will help you get back on top quicker. 

Adjust Scheduled Content

Running on a schedule makes life so much easier, I know. But in a time like this when life is so unpredictable, it’s important to step back and take things day by day and that includes your marketing strategy as well. If you scheduled content to go out on your social channels and blogs, you’ll definitely want to take a look at it and see if it’s still appropriate for the times. At Elevate My Brand, we have had to pivot a little bit with our blog posts, pushing back topics to make room for content having to do with COVID-19. Sometimes, adjusting your content is as easy as changing a caption for a photograph. Want to post that picture of your product with a group of people? Be sure to let your audience know that this photo was taken pre-quarantine so your followers don’t get upset that you’re not following social distancing rules. 

It takes a lot of work to properly plan and execute a successful marketing strategy, and you don’t want all that hard work to go to waste. While scheduled events and meetings may have been disrupted by COVID-19, that doesn’t mean that they should be canceled. We’re lucky to have technology on our side so that most of these scheduled events can be converted, rather than having to be canceled. Each year I host a women’s networking event called our Elevate Spring Salon, which is a schmooze and booze that supports a different non-profit each quarter. Obviously we can’t proceed as planned, but we have decided to convert the event to digital which should still give us a community feel, support the cause that we’re standing behind and, continue building brand awareness and visibility. P.S. fun isn’t canceled, it’s just converted. 

Don’t Be Tone Deaf 

As I mentioned earlier, emotions are running high right now. Everyone is reacting to the situation in a different way, so it’s crucial that you take note of your audience’s heightened sensitivity during this time. Listen to your community. What is it that they want and need right now? With social media and surveying tools like Survey Monkey, you can actually ask, what a concept! 

Ultimately, you have to trust your instincts. Maybe it’s not the time to push that ad or sell that product. Now’s the time to be authentic and really showcase your brand values. Funny, positive and uplifting content is always welcome, just be sure that you’re being sensitive to the current situation and adding value, not just acting as if nothing has changed. 

We’re going to be in this for a while, even after shelter-in-place orders are lifted. So the faster you can shift your messaging and positioning, the more successful you will be long term, and the less of an uphill battle you’re brand will have when this is truly over.

About the Expert: Laurel Mintz, J.D., M.B.A. is the CEO and founder of award-winning, Los Angeles-based digital marketing agency Elevate My Brand. Laurel’s gift is connecting with people and their stories. After all, companies are made up of people, and stories are just narratives that are the foundation of great marketing. Laurel’s energy has been the driving force behind the agency’s growth since it launched in 2009. Her awards include the 2017 Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Award, the 2016 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Company award, the Los Angeles Business Journal 2016 Women In Business Award, and more. 

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Opinion: How to Stay Focused on What Matters During Times of Great Upheaval

Photo: Stephanie Stanley

With shelter-in-place orders in effect across the globe because of the novel coronavirus, many have suddenly, and unexpectedly, found themselves without access to the physical spaces (offices; fitness studios; places of worship) and basic structures (daily commutes; relationships; jobs) that previously shaped their day-to-day lives. I know firsthand how unsettling this can be, even without the added anxiety of contracting or spreading a deadly virus that has already infected more than a million people around the world.

In November 2017, I was working at a prestigious corporate law firm when The New Yorker revealed that my employer had retained Israeli intelligence operatives to spy on the women coming forward with their stories about Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. The news was particularly disturbing to me as someone who, just a few weeks earlier, had made the difficult decision to come forward publicly to The Washington Post about my own experience with sexual harassment as an 18-year-old intern. 

About two months later, I left to launch the Purple Campaign, a non-profit organization to address workplace harassment in the wake of #MeToo. In a matter of days, I went from having a job in which I was assigned a steady stream of specific tasks—and required to track my time in six-minute increments for billing purposes—to being my own boss in an uncharted foray into social entrepreneurship. I suddenly discovered that the organizational systems I’d relied on for years no longer met my needs, and struggled to prioritize and balance the day-to-day demands of my new career path.

“I was having a hard time focusing on work because I was terrified of the uncertain future ahead of me, both personally and professionally.”

Staying grounded in my work became even more challenging that fall, when I separated from my husband and partner of 11 years and moved out of the house we shared. In the span of a year, I lost the two fundamental structures of my life (my job and my marriage) along with the physical spaces (my downtown office and my home) that contained them. As much as I loved the creative and intellectual challenge of building a new organization, I found it increasingly difficult to translate those abstract goals into day-to-day tasks.

The dramatic societal change currently underway has prompted a flurry of think pieces about how to create a work-from-home schedule and the importance of establishing a morning routine to boost productivity. Don’t get me wrong: this kind of advice is important and useful. Over the past two years, I’ve learned—through a lot of trial and error—how to balance my competing needs for flexibility and discipline. This has included establishing not only a morning routine (which consists of a daily prayer, meditation, and self-led Ashtanga yoga practice) but an evening one, too (which I’ll admit is largely dominated by my elaborate skincare regimen), along with other rituals that keep me grounded.

But while my routines help me start each day with focus and clarity, they haven’t always made it easier to get substantive work done—and that’s especially true when the future I’m working toward feels as uncertain as the present moment I’m living in. I often finished my morning routine only to find it impossible to sit down and focus on the work tasks in front of me. I’d procrastinate by doing other “productive” things instead (going for a run; meal prepping; organizing a friend’s bachelorette party), putting my work off until a deadline loomed, or an email landed in my inbox that demanded a response.

As my one of my work-life gurus Adam Grant wrote in a recent COVID-era column, there’s an explanation for this: people tend to procrastinate “when a task stirs up feelings like anxiety, confusion, or boredom” or when “you’re working alone on tasks that seem ambiguous and meaningless.” As passionate as I am about the work I do at The Purple Campaign, entrepreneurship came hand-in-hand with an underlying anxiety that I didn't fully appreciate when I dove headfirst into it two years ago, and which only increased in the wake of my divorce. I wasn’t having a hard time focusing on work because I lacked good routines—I was having a hard time focusing on work because I was terrified of the uncertain future ahead of me, both personally and professionally.

“Regardless of the tasks sitting on each of our to-do lists right now, we’re all grappling with unprecedented uncertainties.”

Over time, I’ve found a way to get unstuck in such moments: by reframing the task to focus on the people instead of the project. If my to-do list looms large with things that are intimidating or feel “ambiguous and meaningless,” I spend a few minutes focusing on the why behind them: the people affected by the anxiety-inducing or seemingly mundane assignment in front of me. As Grant explains, “we’re more likely to stay on task when we know other people are counting on us,” and re-framing to orient a project around them “can bring focus and meaning” to the work.

A few weeks ago, for example, when I found myself putting off signing the contract for our latest #MeToo Meet Up, I paused for a moment to think about the people behind the administrative task: the individuals who find community and healing at our Meet Up events; the survivors I’ve partnered with to develop the series; the employees at the Outrage who depend on fees from events like ours to operate their small business. The same approach works when I’m faced with a task that feels daunting rather than boring, like putting together the agenda for my first-ever Advisory Board meeting last December.

This global pandemic is affecting us all in both different and similar ways; simultaneously transcending and exacerbating the deep pre-existing socio-economic divides in our society. Regardless of the tasks sitting on each of our to-do lists right now, we’re all grappling with unprecedented uncertainties: the health and safety of our loved ones; knowing when we’ll next see cherished friends and family; finding financial security in an economic crisis. Focusing on the people at the heart of it all isn’t a cure-all solution, but it is a way to reconnect—and hopefully keep moving forward with—what matters most to each of us during this time of great upheaval.

About the Author: Ally Coll is the president and co-founder of The Purple Campaign.

MORE ON THE BLOG

4 Simple Ways to Live an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle (Even If You're Too Busy)

Photo: Daria Shevtsova for Pexels

Did you know 8 million metric tons of trash are dumped into the ocean each year?

This trash also kills around one million marine animals and birds every year. Not a day goes by without pollution of some kind. Whether it’s the fumes from cars, the plastic bag holding our PB&J sandwich, the cheap graphic tee you bought last week, or even the plastic water bottle you bought with your salad on your lunch break.

But no matter how busy your days are, everyone can (and should!), find the time to care a little more about this place we call home. It’s time to do our part to reduce this toxic waste and find smarter ways to keep our planet clean and safe. Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips to kick off an eco-friendly lifestyle, even if you’re busy.

Be Mindful of Fast Fashion

Clothing is an essential part of our everyday life. What we pay for clothing, how we feel in it, and how long it lasts are all important factors to keep in mind when purchasing clothes. Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest style trends. This allows companies to create cheaply made clothing that will likely not last long for the consumer—ever wash a shirt once and the thread string comes out, or it shrinks three sizes?.

Sustainable fashion is the process of fostering change to clothing products towards greater ecological integrity. There are several ways to become a trendsetter without giving into fast fashion and its grand marketing scheme. A string of companies are popping up around this sustainable drive offering easy ways to consign fashion and buy used clothing—hint Poshmark, thredUP, The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Depop, and eBay. They are all doing their part to promote sustainable fashion at an affordable, not cheap, price. Buying secondhand and investing in clothing that is high quality and made with organic and durable fibers are the best ways we can support this sustainable clothing initiative. Did you know fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world behind oil? Let’s change that, ladies.

Invest in Sustainable Food Storage Containers

Work life consists of various foods and snacks to get you through your day. This includes plastic containers, plastic zip-top bags, maybe even plastic bags as lunch bags. Look for food containers that have silicone lids instead of plastic. Silicone is long-lasting, free of all estrogen-mimicking chemicals that are usually found in plastics, doesn’t contain petroleum, and is not harmful to the environment.

Stainless steel is another noteworthy material to use for storing food. People often forget that stainless steel is a highly recycled commodity. According to the International Stainless Steel Forum, the rate of stainless steel recycling has increased to 90% while plastic recycling remains at 1% with most remains dumped into a landfill. If you tend to bring a big lunch everyday, you might want to purchase a reusable lunchbox. This gives you the freedom to keep all your food in place and cold, while also reducing plastic bag use.

So, next time you make a Target run, take a peek at the containers section to make your ecological footprint a little less toxic. 

Bring Your Learnings Into Your Building

Most office and apartment buildings should be following all recycling rules no matter what, but if you’re in a building where they don’t pay attention, then now is the time to inquire.

Contact the building management company and ask them any questions you may have about how to recycle properly. Make signs, set up bins, and do your part to educate your fellow employees and residents on recycling and how to do it the proper way. Provide lists of resources for people looking to get rid of plastic bags, old toys, clothes, food, or even electronics.

Print out recycling guidelines with handy pictures so people can learn at-a-glance how to appropriately dispose of their trash. Talk to your building manager about implementing these recycling guidelines and ask if you’re able to hold an info session to teach employees or residents about the do’s and don’ts of recycling (once social distancing restrictions are lifted). The more people we educate, the better our quality of life will be.

Reduce Plastic Use Where You Can

We all know plastic is the big criminal here. One of the biggest actions we can take is to stop purchasing plastic water bottles, and particularly, plastic water bottles in mass quantity. Not only does this waste affect our marine life but can also affect public health by spreading diseases and other illnesses as a result of burning waste. 

In 2010, Sarah Kauss founded the company S’well with an important mission in mind. Kauss wanted to rid the world of plastic bottles. She molded fashion and function together to create a product that consumers couldn’t resist. The bottles are designed to keep your beverages cold for up to 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. S’well is a woman-owned company with a strong and clear vision to make the world a cleaner place.

Instead of polluting the Earth every day with more plastic water bottles, reuse your own cute and sustainable water bottle that is entirely yours (and you’ll save so much money). You can take it with you pretty much anywhere you go. It’s the easiest way to make the world a cleaner place.

About the Author: Abbey Adams currently works at a digital marketing company while also maintaining her music blog, blondieandthebeat.com, of six years. Throughout her time as a freelance writer for a women’s magazine she’s learned to share every story and empower as many women as possible. You can usually find her writing in bed binging “Sex and the City” (for the 10th time) or at the gym sweating out her anxiety on the stairclimber.

This story was originally published on July 6, 2019, and has since been updated.

 MORE ON THE BLOG

Ask an Expert: Why Tapping Into Consumer Sentiment Is Key to Success in COVID-19

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Courtesy of Jenny Gorenstein

As a brand, it is more important now than ever to listen to and connect with your consumers. We are all isolated and feeling alone in the midst of the chaos of COVID-19. Consumer needs are changing, the economy is heading for a downturn, and there is no way to get face to face with customers, so we have to step up our virtual communities.

In this installment of our Ask an Expert live series, we tapped Jenny Gorenstein, the chief growth officer at Foria, to talk us through how forging connections now can carry brands through COVID-19 and allow them to thrive on the other side. Scroll on to read some of the best advice from the conversation and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to join us for the next one.

Now Is Not the Time to Push Products

“There is no playbook for how to market through a pandemic. We are leading with compassion now more than ever about how we are showing up in people’s inbox and on people’s feeds.”

“It’s not about pushing product right now.”

“Don’t focus on your own brand’s initiatives, show up through goodwill.”

“People just want to know how they can feel more connected to themselves and others and that’s the content we’re putting out right now”

Digital Content Is Key

“We’re all always on our phones. We’re addicted to our phones. That is how we are connecting now. From a brand perspective, there’s a lot of ways to meaningfully connect. Don’t put out things that are overproduced, show up raw, and give things that allow that person-to-person connection. Let people into your homes. Tap into influencers who already have the trust of others and are helping people get through.”

“We scrapped all of our marketing plans, which hurt because you take months building those plans, but we want to create content in the moment. We’re working harder than we ever have because we can’t plan.”

“You want to show up in a way that is resonant with what people are going through and what their life looks like.”

“We have a really playful brand and are leaning into that.”

“We do a lot of content that allows people to pause and take notice of nature around them and that is doing well right now. This is nature’s greatest reset, were all feeling more connected to the outdoors than ever.”

Work With Influencers and Reach Their Communities

“If you don’t have a budget for influencers, that’s okay. I think the organic route is the way to start anyway.”

“Start with gifting product. First and foremost, you want to make sure they love your product and your brand before working together. Try: Affiliate networks and giveaways.” 

“Think about promotions you can do that keep your profit margins but make your products more accessible. If people are curious that gives them a reason to try and once you have them you can get a consumer for life.”

Embrace the New Normal

“Success can come in so many forms you can use Instagram as a means to drive business, you can use Instagram as a means to drive engagement or you can use Instagram as a means to educate.”

“The world of tech has opened up the most amazing toolbox for brands to create dynamic conversations.”

“Lead with the people behind the brand. Lead with heart. Lead with compassion.”

About the Expert: Jenny Gorenstein has focused her career on building innovative and iconic brands and media companies. Prior to joining Foria, she spent 15 years launching InStyle.com's digital ad business from the ground up, helping to grow Refinery29 from $0 to $100M in revenue, and joining pre-IPO Snapchat to take it’s retail business to the next level. Always drawn to mission-driven and early-stage startups, Jenny is passionate about driving cultural currency and sustainable revenue growth. She is a people and idea connector.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Create Compelling Content and Grow Your Instagram, According to a VP Influencer Marketing

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“

The longer you wait, the harder it is to grow.”

—Rachel Zeilic, VP of Influencer Marketing at WhoWhatWear

With engagement on social up 30% since social isolation started, now might just be the perfect time to be growing your Instagram or finally figuring out wtf to do with TikTok. But in the midst of a crisis, creating good (and respectful) content can feel really difficult. In comes, Rachel Zeilic, VP of Influencer Marketing at WhoWhatWear, to answer all your questions.

Wondering what to post, when to post, what to pay for, or if TikTok is the right move for your brand? Rachel drops lots of advice on our IG LIVE on how to navigate social media in the midst of COVID-19. Tune into this Ask An Expert to make sure you don’t miss a single tip. We bet you’re already scrolling through Instagram, might as well scroll with purpose and grow your brand.

We Want Your (Respectful) Content

“Don’t make any assumptions. Don’t say, Now that we’re all working from home, because that isn’t true for a lot of people.”

“There really is a space for audiences to turning to influencers for comfort for information for distraction, they have a lot of time on their hands right now and time is a precious commodity so let’s serve them.”

“Stay away from anything that is like ‘this is a must-have’ because, if it’s not groceries or masks, it isn’t a must-have.”

“Some things that are performing really well right now is comfy chic, working from home outfits, beauty routines, anything affordable, people are still interested in spring trends, and they also want some escapism.”

“Now is also a time to give things away for free. Even if you’re a brand who could be doing well giving some at-home DIY recipes, people will really appreciate that and remember that when commerce opens up again. More than ever they will remember the brands who stepped up and are giving to the community.”

“This is the first time really in a long time where influencers’ lifestyles are really close to their followers’ lifestyles. They aren’t jetting around the world or wearing designer outfits. So this is a really great time for influencers to connect with their followers in a really relatable way.”

Get On TikTok

“TikTok is not like Snapchat or other platforms where they were popular but there was never really brand integration. TikTok is really different, the way it’s built is really engineered to be successful for brand campaigns. Particularly one feature, the hashtag challenges. That is incredible for creating UGC (user-generated content). To me UGC is gold. If your customer loves you so much that they are creating content, they aren’t an influencer, they aren’t getting paid, if they love the product so much they are creating content that is gold.”

 “I think working with TikTok and ‘TikTokers’ absolutely should be part of your campaign given that the demographic aligns, it is a predominantly Gen Z audience. Also the KPIs of the campaign, you need to understand that currently TikTokers or influencers can’t link out anywhere, so if you’re expecting to see immediate sell-through from your campaign, TikTok is not the place to do it. But its great of awareness, you can reach massive audiences.”

“With regards to brands starting their own accounts on TikTok, it really depends if you can do it in a way that’s native to the platform. It’s really not going to work if you’re using the same kind of content you use on Instagram and other platforms. You should only be investing your time into growing a brand account on TikTok if you can do it in the way that is organic to TikTok.”

“The longer you wait, the harder it is to grow.”

Embrace Pay-to-Play

“Yes, it is a pay-to-play world. That being said, relationships and organic strategy are important to stretch your dollars.”

“It’s worth spending a little money on a consultant who can help you know how to spend your social budget.”

“Influencers assets on paid social perform so much better than campaign assets.” 

“A lot of influencers have dropped their pricing or are more flexible on pricing right now.”

“Paid social pricing is down right now as well. You can make your budget stretch so much further right now.”

Insta Tips & Tricks

“We’ve been saying to influencers, Instead of getting a picture and then thinking, ‘Ugh what is my caption going to be?,’ why don’t you write the caption first and tell a story and then reverse that and think of an image that can convey that story?’ I don’t think they all have to be long, and they shouldn’t be long if you don’t have something to say. But every brand has a story to tell and every influencer has a story to tell and I think that can be great. It’s like micro-blogging.”

Tools to try:

• Planoly

• Unum

• VSCO

• Tezza 

“You should post as often as you can while creating quality content and without seeing a dip in engagement rate. The more you post the more your engagement will be spread out.”

About The Expert: Rachel Zeilic is an O.G. in influencer marketing, starting way back in 2007. She is currently the VP of influencer marketing at WhoWhatWear, running influencer campaigns for everyone from Walmart to Gucci. Before that she was creative Director of Majorelle at Revolve, and before that she founded two labels, Stylestalker and The Jetset Diaries.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

4 Things I Do Every Sunday to Mentally Prepare for the Week Ahead (COVID-19 Edition)

Photo: The Lazy Artist Gallery for Pexels

Now that we’re on week six of social distancing and working from home, it’s getting harder to recognize the distinction between weekdays and weekends. Between working, parenting, homeschooling your children, reading the news to stay informed, cooking three meals a day, and trying to keep everyone in your family healthy, the mental load can get overwhelming. In a recent article published in The Atlantic, author Helen Lewis brings up a valid consideration: “one of the most striking effects of the coronavirus will be to send many couples back to the 1950s. Across the world, women’s independence will be a silent victim of the pandemic.” 

With school closures and social distancing, the work of childcare is moving from nannies, daycares, and schools back to parents. In many cases, the responsibility will fall on mothers. Every family manages child care differently. Whether working parents alternate work and child care “shifts” or if they make the difficult decision of having the majority of one task fall on one parent, it can often feel impossible managing work and family responsibilities. This pandemic will pass, although with long-lasting consequences. In the meantime, how do we approach our mental health and manage the new structure of our everyday lives while still achieving our goals? 

As a mother of two toddlers and a month- old newborn and a small business owner, I have found that doing four particular things on Sunday helps me mentally prepare for the week ahead and infuse a sense of normalcy into my days. Of course, it will take more than a Sunday ritual to handle the emotional effects of a global pandemic. But this is where I’m starting. 

Step 1: Clean up your space, including your work area 

Since many of us are working from home now, your desk could be anything from your couch to your dining room table. Wherever you decide to work, take a half hour to clean up the area. If I’m surrounded by stacks of random papers, unopened mail, or Legos that seem to permeate every corner of my house, it’s really hard for me to focus and start working with a clear mind. I still don’t quite understand how these piles of clutter show up consistently despite constantly tidying up. Nonetheless, I am determined to eliminate them. 

Clutter isn’t just aesthetically displeasing. It can also affect your productivity. A study at Princeton University observed that clutter can lead to more difficulty focusing on a single task because various stimuli compete for neural representation. This ultimately makes it harder to pay attention and focus on completing tasks.   

While you’re tidying up, do a once-over of your home and see what else you can put away in the time you allot for cleaning. Put away folded laundry, empty the dishwasher, wipe down kitchen counters and anything else you have been putting off. Although minor changes, your future self will thank you come Monday morning when you can sit at your desk and start working in a peaceful environment.  

Step 2: Take half an hour to sit down and think about how you want the next five days to go. 

Mentally preparing for the week ahead starts with taking care of yourself. Take five minutes to write down all the tasks floating through your mind in a notebook or planner. Relieve your mind of the burden of keeping it all in your head. That includes ordering produce, finding another pair of sneakers for your daughter, breaking down major work projects into manageable tasks, or anything else on your mind. Schedule your virtual barre class now. Plan to connect with one to two people from your network just to check in. 

Also, consider blocking out work time. If you have a project deadline coming up on Friday, block out time on Tuesday to complete it. Physically create a calendar meeting and invite yourself. This will give you a sense of fulfillment and plenty of time to edit/submit it in advance without the stress of procrastinating and being up all night. 

Look at your calendar and observe your schedule as a whole. Do you have seven Zoom meetings scheduled on Monday back to back? Think about what you can adjust or move around so your week is more evenly distributed. Can any of your meetings be converted to an email? The answer is usually yes. One Zoom meeting you may want to keep on your calendar—virtual wine night with a friend. That one feels essential to me.  

Step 3: Take a long hot shower and go through your skincare routine 

With a newborn and two small children at home, long showers and drawn out skincare routines are a luxury that I do not take for granted. I know the week will be packed with activities, deadlines, zoom calls and I will not have the time to go through a multi-step skincare process. On Sunday evenings after my kids are sleeping, a long hot shower is the metaphorical reset button I need to start fresh and enter the new week with an open mind and positive intentions. 

It’s nothing groundbreaking but it’s time I carve out in the day to prioritize my well-being. This is a good time to deep condition your hair, do a scalp treatment, put on a face mask and truly take your time. Take a selfie and send it to a friend to encourage her to do the same. With everything going on, I haven’t found much time to do my makeup or style my hair but taking this time to take care of myself has become a positive part of my quarantine routine. 

End your moment of solitude with a look through your closet to plan out your outfit for Monday morning. Whether it’s sweatpants or a spring dress you can wear around the house, laying out your clothes the night before will help you feel prepared for the week ahead by eliminating morning tasks that take up decision-making energy. Planning what I can on Sunday night lets me get in some extra sleep time the next morning and gets things started on a calm note, even if getting dressed involves changing from one pair of sweatpants to another.  

Step 4: End your Sunday with an activity that brings you peace 

For me, that activity is reading. I try to have everything done by 10 pm so I can go to bed and relax with my favorite book. It doesn’t always happen but when it does, I feel the effects both physically and mentally. One of my favorite joys in life is climbing into a bed with fresh sheets, ready to read and subsequently fall asleep on my book.   

Going to bed early will also help you avoid pressing the snooze button incessantly in the morning. All these things together will help create a situation in which you are set up for success at the beginning of a busy week. Staying up late and constantly pressing the snooze button is problematic because it starts the day with an innate sense of failure. You knew you should have gotten up earlier but you didn’t, creating a negative feeling in the morning and a downstream effect for the remainder of the day.  

Another activity that can help bring a sense of peace? Lying in bed and doing nothing. Taking the time to simply think about your day (without a screen), is not something we do often but the benefits are long-lasting. Think about what you would really like to accomplish during the upcoming week. What will give you a sense of satisfaction amongst uncertain times? What went really well last week? What do you want to do differently this week? As you’re taking care of everyone around you, what can you do to prioritize your own mental well-being? 

About The Author: Tanya Kertsman is a freelance writer covering clean beauty, fashion, and wellness. She has an affinity for slip dresses, a fresh magazine, and booking last minute travel adventures, all equally enticing. Until recently, she worked as a Pharmacist in the Pharmaceutical Industry in Medical Affairs Strategy. Tanya lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three kids under five. When not in front of a computer, you can find her enjoying board games significantly more than her kids do, reading one of many half-read books scattered around her home and scoping out concerts in Philadelphia. You can find her at littleblankdiaries.com or on Instagram @littleblankdiaries.

What do you do on Sunday night to mentally prepare for the week? Add to the list in the comments!

Opinion: When Life Gives You a Pandemic, Scrap Everything

About The Author: Sarah Moret is the Founder & CEO of Curie, a venture-backed direct-to-consumer clean body care brand. In this piece, she discussed the business decisions she's made in response to COVID-19, and how staying focused on your customers is the key to success in times of uncertainty.

Photo: Courtesy of Curie

COVID-19 has had a never-before-seen level of impact on our lives. This pandemic is, literally, reshaping the world as we know it. As a CEO and small business owner, this has had a huge impact. Not only has my personal life changed overnight, but professionally, a year’s worth of carefully laid plans around product launches, brand strategy, and partnerships were completely turned upside down seemingly overnight. COVID-19 walked into our conference room and erased the whiteboard.

My company, Curie, is a direct-to-consumer brand that sells clean, performance-based body care products. Fitness studio partnerships were a huge part of our 2020 strategy. We were scheduled to announce a partnership with a major national fitness chain the week of April 1 and had another large partnership in the works. With gyms, fitness studios and retail stores all off the table, for the time being, we immediately shifted gears.

“Out went our entire social media and content calendar. In came an even deeper obsession with our customers and what they wanted.”

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, right? There’s no recipe for this situation. Scrap it, start over. Out went our entire social media and content calendar. In came an even deeper obsession with our customers and what they wanted.

Now is a good time to engage with your community in a way that isn’t strictly focused on selling products. People are home, relying on screens for work, connection, distraction and more willing than ever to share their thoughts. What our customers told us is that they wanted interactive digital content. Instagram Live workouts, how-to-tutorials, tips, and funny content simply meant to make them smile. I made a conscious business decision to focus on building relationships rather than growing sales.

If you rely on physical spaces, like we do with our retailers and fitness studios, this temporary shelter-in-place has had an even greater impact on your business. A solution is to move toward virtual partnerships and campaigns with other brands. These are a fantastic way to leverage other audiences with which you wouldn’t typically connect. This led us to Better Together, a community campaign we launched with 35 other female-founded brands that included a universal discount code, a charitable donation, and a massive giveaway. It was organized virtually overnight by Nichole Powell, CEO of Kinfield. Partnering with other like-minded companies is a great way to provide a benefit to existing customers while also tapping into new audiences. For Curie, the Better Together campaign contributed to over 50% of our revenue during the week it was live. 

Right now, there are plenty of things that are going wrong in our businesses, but identify what is working, and invest your team’s time and focus on that. For us, our DTC website stayed relatively flat during the first week of shelter-in-place in California and other states, but our Amazon.com business was booming. We leaned into this shift, putting all of our SKUs (stock-keeping units) on Amazon.com. When Amazon lengthened their shipping times for what they deemed “non-essential products,” like deodorant, we pivoted our strategy. We made shipping free for all orders on our online store and started fulfilling Amazon orders out of our own warehouse to decrease transit times. Since we had previously used the low-cost FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) service for these orders, this meant a 30% increase to our shipping cost, which we decided was the right thing to do to keep our customers happy (and fresh!) during this time. Give yourself permission to throw out “the plan.” 

“Things have changed, our world has changed, and the faster you can adapt to these changes, the better you will be able to serve your customers.”

Think about what your company has to offer. Does it still meet your customer’s needs? As COVID-19 spread in the United States, hand sanitizer, overnight, became an essential part of people’s daily routine. Coincidentally, we had just wrapped up the development of a new product: a moisturizing, natural hand sanitizer. We originally planned to sell this product to our fitness studio partners versus direct-to-consumer, but clearly, needs had changed. At the beginning of March, we got on the phone with our suppliers and were able to move the launch date for the hand sanitizer up six months. We will be launching this product in a few weeks and will be gifting 10% of our initial inventory to those on the frontline: delivery men and women, grocery store workers, doctors, and nurses. Things have changed, our world has changed, and the faster you can adapt to these changes, the better you will be able to serve your customers.

Lastly, never underestimate the impact of giving back in small ways. As Paul Graham once said, “Do things that don’t scale.” During this time, that especially rings true. I personally wrote 100 hand-written postcards to our most loyal customers. There were no marketing ploys and no offers involved. Simply short and sweet notes to show my gratitude and wish them well. My team also sent care packages to people who are stepping up in the community, such as fitness instructors that are leading virtual workouts online. Everyone could use a little extra love right now.

The economic uncertainty we are all experiencing right now is out of our control, but what you can control is your response. Keep your focus on doing right by your customers and don’t be afraid to throw out the plan. 

MORE ON THE BLOG

Ask an Expert: How to Be a “Taboo” Brand and Speak Out on Topics That Matter

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Courtesy of Laura Schubert

Launching a business that’s centered around a taboo topic isn’t easy.

Just ask of Laura Schubert, the co-founder and CEO of Fur, a self-care brand that’s signature product is pubic hair oil. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Today, Fur’s products are beloved by celebs (Emma Watson’s a fan) and the brand’s products are stocked everywhere from boutique salons to big-box beauty stores like Ulta.

But all this success didn’t come easily. “When I was reaching out to partners to create the formula, people thought I was prank calling them—they’d call me a pervert and hang up on me,“ explains Schubert. For today’s Ask an Expert Live segment, we asked Schubert to tell us all about how she’s used her brand’s platform to speak out on topics that matter, give back, and create a sense of community.

Scroll on for a few highlights and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to catch the next installment of Ask an Expert.

Stay True to Your Brand

“During this pandemic, we haven’t changed our messaging that much. We’ve always been a self-care brand and we’re all about self-care rituals that leave space for people to reexamine how they view pubic hair and reframe ideas that they may have about their own bodies and their body hair.”

Use Your Platform to Pay It Forward

“We’ve been giving back to the extent that we can. We gave away 500 Fur oils to healthcare workers—we asked people to send us a picture of their badge—and over 2,000 people got back to us. So, we’re trying to figure out ways that we can give back to people at this time and help people as much as much as we can.”

Create a Virtual Community

“At Fur, we asked ourselves, How can we create community online when we’re all hurting in so many ways? So we started Further Together an Instagram Live series where our community can

About the Expert: Laura Schubert is the co-founder and CEO of Fur. Prior to Fur, Laura was a management consultant at Bain and Company. Interested in starting her own business since graduate school, she honed her skills while waiting for the right idea and the right team to launch a new venture. Fur seemed like the perfect opportunity to create an entirely new beauty category with her sister and close friend, who also happened to have complementary backgrounds.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

C&C Classifieds: Atlantic Records, Brooklinen, Murad & More!

Job hunting? We're bringing you new remote gigs from Amy Porterfield Inc., Joy Energy Time, Something Massive, & more! 

FEATURED JOBS

Marketing Project Manager, Amy Porterfield Inc.- Remote

Account Executive (Part-Time ), Joy Energy Time- Remote

Brand Strategist,  Atlantic Records- Culver City, CA

Growth Marketing Analyst , Brooklinen- New York, NY

Associate Marketing Manager, Clif Bar & Company - Emeryville, CA

Brand Marketing Manager, Patreon- San Francisco, CA

LOS ANGELES   

Sr. Social Media & Community Manager, HUM Nutrition

Digital Marketing Associate, Murad- El Segundo, CA

Social Media Manager , SmartyPants Vitamins

Senior Manager, CRM, FabFitFun

Trade Promotion Analyst , Califia Farms

Marketing Associate, FIJI Water

NEW YORK CITY

Sales Planner, Bleacher Report

 Head of Marketing, U.S., Depop

Amazon Ecommerce Manager, TULA Skincare

Content Marketing Specialist, BBC

Brand Marketing Manager, Corkyy

Influencer Relations Manager, BoxyCharm

REMOTE

Jr. Copywriter, Something Massive

Communications Manager, Habitat For Humanity International

Sr. Copywriter, Wikimedia Foundation

Key Account Manager, Maesa

Key Account Manager, Kombrewcha

Brand Strategist, Cupshe

Ask an Expert: How to Develop Your Brand Voice, Personification, and Tag Line

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: cottonbro for Pexels

Branding is more important now than ever before with COVID-19. While it may not be the time to be pushing sales, it’s certainly the time to put your best foot forward and showcase your brand values in order to build a community. In order to market successfully during this time, you have to be able to connect with people and their stories. After all, companies are made up of people, and stories are just narratives that are the foundation of great marketing. 

“Buyers make most of their decisions by relying on their two second first impressions based on stored memories, images and feelings.” This quote from Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Blink,” powerfully expresses how your customers think. In layman's terms, you only get one chance to make a first impression. To find out how to do it right, scroll on to learn more about branding, including developing your tag line and voice.

What Is Branding? 

To begin, it’s crucial that you understand what branding is and what it is not. Branding is not telling people who you are, it’s managing what other people say you are. What will your audience associate with your brand? It’s up to you to create this emotional connection through your branding.

Specifically, branding is the look and feel of a brand, the characteristics, values, tag lines, logos, energy, etc. Branding includes all the ways your company shows up in the world and how you hope a consumer will relate and engage with it on an emotional level.

However, before you can even begin to market your brand out into the world, you must start by building a strong foundation. Here’s how. 

How to Define Your Brand 

Branding Exercise

When establishing your personal or corporate brand, it’s critical to begin by defining what you want your brand to be. This starts with developing a name and logo that speaks to your target market and evokes a specific emotion, adjective or sensory experience. You can go about this in many ways.  When working with a new client, one of the first things we do is take them through a branding exercise that we call “word vomit” that looks a little bit like this: 

1. Write down a list of words, potential names and/or concepts that you might want to start with (this is if you don’t already have your company name).

2. Write down a list of adjectives and emotions you want your potential client to feel when they see your logo or hear your brand name.

3. Go out and find 5-10 logos you like and 5-10 logos you don’t like and describe in detail why you do or don’t like them. The creative process is so subjective, so before we start throwing ideas at the wall, it's crucial that we know what your aesthetic is. Knowing what you don’t like is as important as knowing what you do like.

4. Similarly, determine a list of colors you like and don’t like and types of designs you do and don’t like e.g. I do like minimalist fonts, but I don’t like figures in logos.

This exercise allows you to get clear on your brand values, decide which words you want associated with your brand and, almost as importantly, which words and sentiments you don’t want associated with your brand. This type of exercise can help with buy in and can also spark creativity and should be a lot of fun. 

At the end of the day you get what you pay for, so remember, this logo will live on your business cards, web site, and all marketing materials that you will create for your company, which are the first things a prospect sees, even before they get to know you. So putting your best brand effort first is key.

Brand Book

Let’s just get this out of the way—yes, you absolutely need a brand book. A brand book is a document that outlines every detail about your brand. It’s basically your brand’s DNA. At its most fundamental level, a brand book must include your mission and vision, your logo and colors, your typography, and sample imagery. The best brand book, however, has more than the basics. 

As important as it is to define your brand, it’s equally important to define what your brand is not. What words or phrases are off limits? In order to stay on brand, you must know what it means to be off brand. 

I said it once and I’ll say it again: Branding is not telling people who you are, it’s managing what other people say you are. In order to do this, you must know a little bit about your target audience. What do they like? With your target audience in mind, how can you shape your branding into something they can appreciate and recognize? 

Ultimately, your brand is the foundation for all things marketing, so it’s critical that you get it right from the start and build a lexicon around it so that as you build and scale, the original ethos of the brand remains intact. 

About the Expert: Laurel Mintz, J.D., M.B.A. is the CEO and founder of award-winning, Los Angeles-based digital marketing agency Elevate My Brand. Laurel’s gift is connecting with people and their stories. After all, companies are made up of people, and stories are just narratives that are the foundation of great marketing. Laurel’s energy has been the driving force behind the agency’s growth since it launched in 2009. Her awards include the 2017 Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Award, the 2016 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Company award, the Los Angeles Business Journal 2016 Women In Business Award, and more. Need help figuring out how to do this for your brand? I can’t wait to talk. Reach out today to get started.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

8 Ways to Grow Your Personal Brand, According to an Influencer With 1M Instagram Followers

Have you always wanted to know what it’s like to be an influencer and grow a business out of your influence? We know you’re all craving insight on how to grow a brand and ramp up your social media presence right now so when we came across influencer and co-founder of Summer Fridays, Marianna Hewitt dishing her career advice and social media tips on Instagram stories, we had to screenshot it all and share it with you here.

Hewitt asked her Instagram audience—she has 1 M(!!!), followers—to send in their questions on all things business, social, and #influencerlife. Whether you’re an aspiring influencer, a brand trying to grow, or need some major inspiration, Hewitt’s insight is golden. She pulls back the curtain to share all the realness.

You asked, she answered. Scroll on for major tips, then don’t forget to grab your tickets to the Money Moves Digital Summit to see Hewitt speak on all things, money, career, business, and more!

How do you come up with fresh content so that your followers don’t get bored?

I just ask! Whenever I need new ideas I ask what the followers want to see. I have a document saved with all the answers and then I note what gets the most requests and do those.

Being a beginner, how do you grab a brands’ attention?

I think picking a niche at the beginning helps soooo much. You become the go-to expert on that subject! Creating beautiful content helps to get reposted or for brands to notice you. I

f you want to work with a brand, buy their products and use them and share them organically to show the brands what kind of content you would create for them and how your audience responded to you sharing it.

Also, not every brand has a budget to work with influencers and if they do it could only be at certain times for particular campaigns or launches that they would have budgets. So keep it in mind that brands don’t just freely have money all the time. But by posting and sharing them organically, hopefully, they will help keep you top of mind when opportunities do come up.

How did you grow your following?

“I just did a podcast interview and talked about this, you can find that here.”

Do you think it’s too late to become an influencer because it’s so saturated?

“Not at all! But that’s why having a niche is important when first starting so that you can build a micro-community who comes to you as an expert on one thing. I don’t think you need to be niche forever, but when you start, I think it helps so much.”

How do you build relationships with other influencers?

“Follow them. Like and comment on their posts.”

Can you grow your Instagram without using a lot of hashtags? How did you grow yours?

“I don’t really know if hashtags are that relevant. I don’t think you need them to grow your page. I think you’re better off tagging brands and getting reshared. And following people in your niche and engaging with their content and hope they follow back and do the same.”

What are some things you wish you knew before starting your influencer journey?

“It’s a lot of work. Most of the work you do is for free and you don’t get paid. Because you’re creating organic content every single day that isn’t sponsored. Let’s say 10% of your content is sponsored. Then 90% of your work you do for free. So you have to be okay with doing a lot of work to hopefully get paid opportunities. You can also make money through affiliate links.

When you are an influencer you are:

• The model

• Photographer

• Videographer (if you do IGTV or YouTube)

• Editor (for video)

• Social media manager

• Community manager

• Writer (captions or if you have a blog)

• Stylist (if you post fashion content)

• Makeup artist (if you post makeup content)

And so many more things! Being an influencer is so many jobs rolled into one.

How do you keep your feed cohesive without a filter?

Take photos with similar colors. So you’ll notice there’s no black in my photos right now. So if I took a picture on a black wall or with a dark outfit, it wouldn’t match. So just take pics of things that go together.

Does the grid matter?

I do think your feed matters to new followers. When a new person comes to your page they see the first nine to 12 photos so it should get their attention and make them want to follow and have an idea of what kind of content they’ll be getting from you. I don’t think feed matters as much to existing followers because they likely just see the new posts but not as frequently go to your profile.

How do you find your niche?

Your niche should be your “thing” so it should be easy to narrow down based on what you are passionate about or an expert in. I like to think of content pillars and posting mostly those topics; so a few things that you like. You can post a few things and see what’s resonating most with your followers and getting the most engagement. Then post more of that.

How do you establish your first partnership if you’re just starting out and don’t have high follower numbers?

I would ask yourself:

• Why would this brand work with me?

• What am I bringing to the table?

And pitch them your strengths:

• Did you post them before and convert a lot of sales?

• Do you have data to show that?

• Do you create beautiful content, and can you work with them to create assets for their socials?

How do you decide which platform to post your content? Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or blog?

Instagram:

• Photos

• Stories/daily posts in the moment and more quick content

 YouTube:

• Longer videos

• Content I want to live longer or videos that are searched for

Blog:

• More writing than what would fit in an IG caption

• Lots of shopping links and roundups of items

How do you keep motivated to post stories every day?

I genuinely love to create content and share. So I never feel like I “have” to do it. I *want* to do it. On the days I don’t want to, I just don’t. Like for my feed right now I don’t have a pic to post next and haven’t felt like getting ready so I just didn’t post on my feed yesterday or today.

 How long did it take for you to get a substantial follower base?

I started Instagram very early on in 2013 when it was much easier to gain followers than it is now. I gained a large audience by 2014 but then continued to grow it. I was at 500k in 2016 (it took me from 2013 to 2016) and hit 1M in 2020. So it took me four years to reach my second 500k.”

What is the biggest struggle with being an influencer?

“There is zero job security and you have no benefits. At any time (like now) brands could all cut their budget for sponsored content and what would your job be? How will you make an income? There are no sick days. There are no days off. There is no maternity leave. All the pressure is on you.

Since you are the influencer and face of the “brand” you cannot delegate things to other people. You are the one in the photos, in the stories, etc. There are a lot of benefits though and it’s an amazing opportunity to do this full time but there are so many risks so you just have to be okay with that!”

For fashion content: Do you think a blog is necessary or can someone be successful only using Instagram?

“If you want to be a blogger then yes you need to have a blog. But if you want to be a social media influencer or content creator, no you do not need a blog. Think of some of your fave influencers, they probably don’t have a site!

Do you use a professional photographer for full body shots?

No, I’ve been shooting all my content at home on my iPhone. I generally only shoot with a photographer for sponsored content because I want the highest quality photos for the brands.

How do you pay your agency for managing you? Do they take a percentage on your earnings?

Yes, they make a percentage of the deals they bring in for me. Then the percent I get for myself, I pay taxes on (because we don’t get paychecks so our taxes are taken from the money we bring in) and then pay out employees, creatives, etc.

Like what you see? Catch Marianna Hewitt at the Money Moves Summit, May 2nd, live from your couch!

Ask an Expert: How to Make the Most of Social Distancing and Be Productive With Your Extra Time

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“

Don’t allow your inner critic to talk you out of starting. Just start.”

—Stephanie Fleming, co-founder of The Happy Planner

Now, let us start off by saying that we are not here to pressure you into being productive. After all, we’re in the midst of a global health crisis that has disrupted every aspect of our daily lives. One that has taken a serious toll on both our mental health and overall wellbeing, as well as our financial stability. First and foremost, we all need to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.

We are here, however, to give you the tools you need in order to be productive if you are looking to launch that business, learn that new skill, or get started on that project you’ve had on the back burner while you’re self-isolating. That’s why we tapped creative entrepreneur and co-founder of The Happy Planner, Stephanie Fleming, to share her tips on the topic for our latest Ask an Expert Live segment.

Scroll on for three takeaways from the conversation and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram so you don’t miss out on the next one.

Create Work-Life Boundaries

“In a situation like this, boundaries are very important. Remember, you are the guardian of your own time so you need to create the boundaries that you need in order to be productive. Create a schedule for yourself but be aware that there are always going to be boundary bulldozers (i.e., Facebook, the news, your kids), just be aware of them, take a deep breath, and recognize that these are difficult times and it’s okay to not be at the top of your game.”

Minimize Distractions

“Set aside a dedicated workspace where you can minimize distractions. If you don’t have the space (some of us live in tight quarters), schedule some time for yourself to use a shared space. Do whatever you need to do to find a distraction-free zone or time so you have the space you need, both mentally and physically, to cross items off your to-do list.”

Just Start

“Procrastination and perfection are the enemies of productivity. Just start the damn thing. Rip the band-aid off. Use Mel Robbins’ 5-second rule and literally countdown from 5-4-3-2-1 and just go. Don’t allow your inner critic to talk you out of starting. Just start.”

About the Expert: Stephanie Fleming is a creative entrepreneur, speaker, optimist, and wellness seeker. Most notably, she is the co-founder of The Happy Planner. What began 20 years ago as a tiny, garage-based business is now an industry-leading lifestyle brand that offers a wide variety of products that inspire customers to live creatively and plan a happy life It’s Stephanie’s mission to create a happy life movement by empowering people everywhere to take control of their own happiness by embracing planning, positivity and all things creative!

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

What Is Toxic Productivity (and How Do I Avoid It)?

Photo: Polina Zimmerman for Pexels

Everywhere you turn, people are feeling the pressure to do something truly meaningful during this time of self-quarantine. Sure, it's great if you can write your next bestselling novel, or re-organize your entire home, but sometimes, that need to be productive can be toxic. Here are some signs to spot if toxic productivity is creeping into your life—and what you can do to break the cycle.

What Are Toxic Behaviors?

First things first, toxic behaviors are behaviors that are harmful to you, your goals, and your daily life. Our culture expresses a lot of value for productivity (we reward the best students, we’re impressed when others pull all-nighters, we glorify the entrepreneurs who boast about their work ethic and lack of sleep). Rarely do we celebrate when people are present, rest well, or set and meet reasonable goals.

Quarantine means that people are at home, trying to work, in the middle of a crisis. And yet there’s never been so much content about how people should be using all this “extra time” to try and pivot their businesses, take every e-course on entrepreneurship, or check things off their endless to-do lists.

Don’t get me wrong, if someone is able to do these things in the midst of food and product scarcity, health concerns, and social isolation, that’s great. But to expect people to be productive during a pandemic is undeniably harmful. If we aren’t being generative in our homes and businesses at a breakneck pace right now, it doesn't mean we are failures, it means we are human.

Toxic productivity would have us see things differently, and it’s hurting us.

Here Are Three Signs of Toxic Productivity

Working to the extent that it harms your health or personal relationships.

Perseverance and determination are admirable, but if your work ethic means that you’re ignoring human requirements like the need to eat, drink, sleep, or go to the bathroom, then your hard work “ethic” is toxic productivity in disguise.

Your family members may repeatedly express frustration with you and complain that you’re “always working,” “never around” or “always on your phone.” What they are really saying is, “We miss you. We need you. Please spend time with us.”

Forgetting obligations and neglecting personal responsibilities is another sign that your tendency to have tunnel vision when it comes to work is harming you and your loved ones.

Having unrealistic expectations for yourself and ignoring important information (such as the detrimental effects of a pandemic).

Many people are expecting their level of output and productivity to be the same right now. When their entire lives have been disrupted. When they are working under stressful conditions at home. IN. THE. MIDST. OF. A. PANDEMIC.

These unrealistic expectations can make an already traumatic situation even worse. Expecting the same output from yourself during a crisis is like expecting a crop to yield the same harvest after a drought.

It’s unreasonable, and will likely add to your stress if you try to maintain your previous standards.

Difficulty with rest or stillness.

If you have a toxic relationship with productivity, you might struggle to be alone with yourself anytime you’re not busy working. When you finally take a break or let yourself have a day off, you might feel guilty. Alternatively, you could feel a sense of restlessness or emptiness during moments of stillness, play, or other things you may label in your head as “non-productive.”

People might complain that you’re “not present” emotionally or physically. For example, you might rush to do the dishes after dinner instead of sitting at the table and connecting with your family. Or you might find yourself feeling impatient while a loved one tells you a long story because it feels like an inefficient use of time.

You might notice feelings of lower self-worth when you aren’t producing, creating, or working in some way, or be distracted by comparing yourself to others that you see as more productive than you.

How to heal your toxic productivity

If you’ve determined that you are one of the many suffering from a sense of toxic productivity right now, you’re not alone. The good news is, it doesn’t have to stay this way. There are lots of things you can do to have a healthier relationship with your need to be productive. Below are a few ideas.

Set realistic goals; adjust as needed.

It’s important to consider the context when setting goals. During this time when there may be extra demands on you (perhaps you’re homeschooling your children or adjusting to working from home), you may need to reduce your goals to accommodate the transition.

Part of being realistic is recognizing that your home office is likely to have more distractions, interruptions, and stressors than your old office. When we are under stress, our ability to concentrate and think clearly suffers, so it may also be helpful to extend deadlines to accommodate increased stress levels.

If you’re managing a team you’ll want to revise expectations for them as well.

Reframe what it means to rest and take breaks.

Rest is not a four-letter word or something just for the weak. Rest is 100% necessary. Studies show that people who take breaks end up being more productive than people who don’t.

Reframe rest to be a vital part of your productivity. See it as a necessary tool to help you reach your goals more effectively. Instead of taking breaks when you feel on the verge of collapse, how about scheduling them regularly throughout your day? You’ll feel a lot better, and you'll likely be able to get even more accomplished.

The Pomodoro method is a great strategy to stay on task while also taking frequent breaks.

Practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a way to help us connect to ourselves and the present moment. Mindfulness invites us to observe and accept what is happening around us and within us without judgement. We learn to be more aware of our body and needs. Mindfulness is proven to have all sorts of health benefits, including increasing frontal lobe activity, which is where logical reasoning and executive functioning takes place.

Mindfulness helps us disconnect from our “fight or flight” survival instincts (which often keep us stuck in toxic patterns) and instead gives us the opportunity to connect with more mature, healthy ways of relating to the world.

Calm and Headspace are two apps that I highly recommend if you want to give mindfulness a try.

Get some accountability.

Make sure that you have wise people in your life that can hold you accountable and keep you aware of your self-destructive behaviors. Most importantly, take their advice. When they say you’re working too much and need a break, listen to them. 

Define clearer boundaries.

Rework your boundaries with work, or clarify them to serve you better. Establish a few “baseline” boundaries and then refine as needed, such as:

• No cell phone at the dinner table.

• No more than 3 hours of work at a time before taking a break.

• No more than 40 hours of work a week.

• You must spend quality time with your kids at least once a week.

• You must eat at least 2 meals a day.

• You must get at least 6 hours of sleep.

These baseline boundaries are just ideas to help you get started but can be adjusted to fit your individual needs.

Heal your self-talk.

Do you define your sense of self-worth by how productive you are? If so, you may find yourself caught in a cycle of chasing accomplishments that give you a temporary sense of worth, until that wears off and you need yet another accomplishment to make you feel valuable. To heal your self-talk, start seeing that your value is not in what you produce or accomplish, but in who you are.

Ask yourself, “Would I have these same expectations for someone I care for deeply?” If the answer is no, then you shouldn’t have these expectations for yourself, either. Practice learning to speak to yourself the way you would a dear friend.

If you need help healing your self-talk, consider getting support from a therapist. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be especially effective at helping you heal toxic narratives that have kept you stuck in a cycle of addiction to productivity.

It’s perfectly normal to feel uncomfortable with the changes you’re experiencing due to COVID-19, but this is a great opportunity to get real with yourself and heal from things that aren’t serving you well. When this is all over, hopefully, you can leave behind your toxic productivity, too.

About the Author: Dr. Therese Mascardo is a Filipina-American licensed clinical psychologist, founder of the L.A. Digital Nomads, and CEO and founder of Exploring Therapy, a wellness community that helps people build a life they don’t need a vacation from. She has been featured in HuffPost, Women’s Health, & Tastemade. Berkeley educated, she shares her knowledge in mental health, entrepreneurship, community building, and traveling full time as a digital nomad to inspire people to create more healthy, free, and connected lives they love.

The Do's and Don't's of Instagram Stories Engagement

Photo: Smith House Photography

We get it—the algorithm sucks. But that shouldn't deter you from perfecting your feed, going live, or posting to stories. As the old saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. There are so many ways you can outsmart it or simply jump on their bandwagon and create content around trends and viral hashtags.

Ahead, we’re sharing the do’s and don’t of Instagram Stories engagement to help you create compelling content that will grow your audience and keep them there. Want more ways to outsmart the algorithm? Download our The Grow Your Instagram Bundle and discover everything you need to know to get your grid right from creating compelling captions to winning at Instagram stories.

DO have planned “features” that you roll out on a bi-weekly or weekly schedule with similar content your users can look forward to. DON'T post the same feature's constantly.

DO use thoughtfully designed templates and frames. DON'T rely solely on Instagram's formats. 

DO experiment with IGS features such as: stickers, polls, questionnaires but DON'T Rely on them to carry your strategy.

DO post stories every day or at least three times a week.

DO post around five frames each time (more frames is too much and people are not watching until the end).

DO post content your followers like or need (“how to” tips, outfit inspirations, polls about products preferences, etc.)

DO mix up your post types! Video one post, perhaps a quiz the next, and follow it with a satirical chaser.

DO save your best stories with the highest engagement in your highlights, and use a consistent look for the cover.

DO re-share content that you’ve been tagged in. User-generated content is always a good idea. It shows your community that you are trustworthy and have a product that people love. 

DO use hashtags and tag people/brands in your stories that pertain to it. Show behind-the-scenes because it usually garners a lot of attention. People want to know what it’s like at a photoshoot or at an event. 

DO have fun with it. These only last for 24 hours so you don't have to be as polished. Show behind-the-scenes content. Instagram is always introducing fun new story features (questions, polls, GIFs, etc.) so use them! Ask questions and experiment. 

DO show your brand/the team's personality and get personal. Maybe how the founder uses the brand's products or even a 'story takeover for a day by one of the team members to show what her day is like. 

DO give them a reason to want to share your stories. Post something really helpful on Saturday, that is not sales-sy, but is in the spirit of genuinely wanting to help. 

DON'T use the same template each time! Mix it up to keep it interesting. This is where you can be creative and see what works best. After all, they disappear, and you don't have to keep them in your highlights.

DON'T just use your stories for advertising. People like to be entertained by your stories, and might also mistake it for a sponsored story. 

DON’T make stories too long. Stick to around 10-12 a day. Any more than that and it’s too much content to soak in and truly appreciate.

DON’T forget your audience and who you are sharing with. You want to keep your followers (or potential followers) intrigued to watch everything you’ve shared.

DON’T not use stories. It’s an amazing way to connect with your followers and bring on new ones!

DON’T just repurpose existing content. If you're filming a video for IGTV, use the BTS content on Instagram stories. Don't worry about being too buttoned up. Have more fun with story content that won't be as permanent. Don't make it too long, sometimes fewer frames is better. 

DON’T post the same thing you post on your feed—people get bored.

Want to outsmart the algorithm?

Add our The Grow Your Instagram Bundle to your cart, or get unlimited access to our entire library of downloads and videos when you join Insiders.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Ask an Expert: How to Sell Through Video, According to a Business Coach

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“It is an 80% higher conversion rate when you share services and products on video rather than standard text posts.”

—Tiffany Carter, founder of ProjectME

During COVID-19, you have to step up your social media game—and, according to business coach, Tiffany Carter, video is essential for engaging your followers. Whether you are going live on Instagram, pumping out some quick stories, or posting vids directly to your page, if you aren’t using video, you’re not making the most of your social channels.

In this installment of our Instagram Live Ask an Expert series, we asked the founder of ProjectME to walk us through her best tips for turning videos into conversions. If you’re afraid to go live, show your face on camera, or even just make your videos worth watching, scroll on for her best tips, and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to tune into the next conversation.

Video Is A Must!

“It is an 80% higher conversion rate when you share services and products on video rather than standard text posts.”

“You need to do video every day in your stories.”

“Its vulnerable to be our silly, goofy, awkward selves, but that converts the best.”

Use The EASE Method

E - Energy and Engagement

“You cannot fake energy. Get into the highest possible energy state you can get in for that moment. Do jumping jacks, put on fun music, call a friend to hype you up, whatever it takes”

“Look at the screen as though it is your best friend and use those same mannerisms you would use in real life.”

“The first ten seconds are crucial, especially for pre-recorded videos. It determines if someone will click on or off. Do not start a video with ‘hey, guys,’ it’s basic, it doesn’t work, it’s not engaging.“

A - Authority and Confidence

“You need to establish yourself as the authority in your niche.”

“What we tend to do [when we lack confidence] are weird things like looking down, not getting close to the video, or hair twirling. These nervous habits don’t translate.”

S – Storytelling

“Stories sell. People remember stories.”

“Have a story, it can be a mirco-story, but have a story prepared to share in your videos, something funny, or something that worked really well for you, have some kind of story.”

E - Execution

“You have to tell people what in the hell to do or they don’t do it.”

“If you want people to comment below, don’t only ask them a question but tell them to comment below, point to the comment section.”

“If you’re not so sick of yourself that you’re thinking I can’t say this again or I can’t listen to my voice anymore, then you’re not saying it enough.”

The 3 Es of Content

Good content should do at least one of these three things:

• Educate your people

• Enlighten them

• Entertain them

About The Expert. Tiffany Carter takes the mystery out of making big money while doing something you love. She uses a magnetic combination of her clear-cut communication style that she developed as a TV news broadcaster for NBC and CBS, her business savvy and proven strategies as a multi-millionaire entrepreneur, and her intuitive ability to connect with women on a deeper level, to uncover what’s blocking you from achieving your dream life.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

How 2 Best Friends Turned $1400 Into a Wildly Successful (and Profitable) Business

We know how daunting it can be to start a new business, especially if you’re disrupting an industry or creating an entirely new one. When there is no path to follow, the biggest question is, where do I start? There is so much to do, but before you get ahead of yourself, let’s start at the beginning. To kick-start the process, and ease some of those first-time founder nerves, we’re asking successful entrepreneurs to share their story in our new series, From Scratch. But this isn’t your typical day in the life. We’re getting down to the nitty-gritty from writing a business plan (or not) to sourcing manufacturers and how much they pay themselves, we’re not holding back.

Photo: Courtesy of Witty Rentals

What would you do with $700? For most of us, especially right now, it would go into savings or paying bills, but it could also the beginning of a new business. Wait, what? Yes, you heard right. Chelsea Bradford and Tiffany Garcia only had $700 each when they had the lightbulb moment to launch their event rental company. Now, Witty Rentals is a super successful (and profitable) business—you’ve probably seen a lot of their stylish furniture at our Create & Cultivate events. Of course, it didn’t happen overnight but first, let’s give you a quick recap on how it all began.

After meeting as teenagers through a growth group, the pair became fast friends. Even with Garcia leaving to study abroad in her homeland of Sweden, and Bradford moving away for college, the pair kept in touch as long-distance pen pals. They were eventually reunited when they got married and served as each other’s bridesmaids. Now, fifteen years later, they have three little ones between them and a successful business between them.

Want to hear how they did it? Read on to hear more about how these best friends started their business from scratch with just $1400, the lessons they learned along the way, and advice for new founders on how to start a small business from scratch—because good news stories are exactly what we all need right now!

Photo: Courtesy of Witty Rentals

On their lightbulb moment…

Chelsea Bradford: When we dreamed up Witty six years ago; Tiffany had a bit of experience in the event industry working for a coordinator and saw a gap in the market she wanted to fill: modern furniture rentals in the San Diego area. I, on the other hand, had zero experience in the industry. I had a Fine Arts degree in ceramics and had my own small business of ceramics, but was interested in design so with our powers combined and a whopping $700 investment each, we started collecting furniture in the garage of Tiffany's parents' house and by some miracle, people actually rented our stuff.

On writing a business plan…

Haha! This would have been a great idea, but we were very ignorant about what starting a business actually meant when we started. We can say with 100% certainty, that we were winging it! I don't think either of us expected it to grow to what it is today, but we have been so happy with the slow and organic growth that we've had. Never taking out loans or taking on investors... the growth came as we were ready for it. Since we didn't have a business plan or any help in the first few years, the "take it as it comes" approach was what kept us sane.

On coming up with the name…

Tiffany found the name in a book and something about it stuck with her. I loved the name immediately, it was playful and unique at the time. Now there are a lot more “Witty” companies in the industry, but my advice for choosing a name now would be to try and be unique, do your research, and make sure there isn't something similar in your area—and try to stand out!

“We can say with 100% certainty, that we were winging it!”

On setting up the business…

The first thing we did was create an email address and it was definitely a Gmail account because we didn’t know any different. Instagram came next. I think we started with @w_i_t_t_y… haha not super professional. Next was probably a domain, website and business license. There's so much you learn during this process that no one tells you such as having to list your fictitious business name in the paper and random things like that.

Other than those few things though, we didn't do much else in those early years besides collecting furniture. If I could give a word of advice to a business just starting out, it would be to present yourself as a real business early on even if you don't even remotely have your shit together. The way you present yourself in the early days will help create the client base that will get you off the ground.

On doing the research…

We researched other rental companies in our area, there was really only two other boutique event rental companies at the time, so we reached out to both of them and visited their warehouses. We talked to them about how and when they started and got some great advice. We wanted to offer something different from what was available in our area, so being able to see what these companies offered helped us shape the direction we wanted to go, as well as build some valuable relationships for the future. One thing we’ve loved about this industry is that there’s plenty of events to cater to which makes it less competitive and we love how friendly our “competitors” have been.”

On finding the right space…

We started collecting in a two-car garage with $0 overhead which is really the only way we were able to start. After about a year and a half, we moved into our first warehouse, 2,200 sq ft, which felt massive. Scared of the cost, we asked some florist friends of ours (hey Bloom Babes!) if they wanted to split the space with us and they were happy to do so—it ended up benefiting both of us greatly. We eventually outgrew our portion and had to take over the whole thing and luckily the Bloom Babes were ready for their own space as well, so we split ways on great terms. Two years in that space and it was time to find something bigger. Now we're in about 6,800 sq ft and looking for another space! The growth has been fun yet sustainable which is the pace we needed.

“The two of us didn’t have huge aspirations or goals in the beginning and so starting small and slow is what we were capable of keeping up with. ”

On self-funding and boostrapping the business…

We were able to start Witty with a total initial investment of $1400 between the two of us and then two years of reinvesting everything that we made, not taking a cent for ourselves. We knew this would give the business the best opportunity for growth and we’re positive we wouldn't be where we are today if we would have tried to pay ourselves early on.

As for what we would recommend to a startup... this is such a personal decision based on what your goal is for the business. The two of us didn't have huge aspirations or goals in the beginning and so starting small and slow is what we were capable of keeping up with. On the other hand, we have friends in the industry who dumped $100K into buying inventory and they have far exceeded our growth in a short period of time.

From the beginning they have had different goals for their companies and that path has worked to help them meet those goals. Really digging deep and asking yourself what you're hoping to achieve, how fast are you wanting to recoup that investment, and what your overall long term goals are for the business will help shape this decision.

On paying themselves a wage…

After two years of not paying ourselves anything, then a year of only paying ourselves for the deliveries we did, we finally started paying ourselves... get ready... $1,000 a month. I know, we were loaded (please pick up on that sarcasm). After about six months of realizing that the business was still okay, we bumped it to $1500, then $2000, then $2500. At this point, we felt like we had really made it! We could justify paying ourselves a collective $5K a month, plus paying rent and paying our handful of employees… just out here living the American dream!

We've since increased our salary slightly but in full transparency, we still believe that making sure the company has the liquid funds to function is far more important than having more dollars in our pockets and the company becoming business broke. We've never put a percentage on it, we decide the number based on what we feel the business can offer as well as what our families can live on without struggling.

Photo: Courtesy of Witty Rentals

On hiring the right team…

We are a team of five, including Tiffany and myself. Neither of us has ever been a “boss” before, so this has been quite the adventure trying to learn how to hire, fire, and manage. To be honest, we don't like it, but it comes with the territory I suppose. We have been fortunate to have incredibly patient employees who give us grace through our struggles communicating, organizing thoughts, managing... and we are so incredibly fortunate to have them. A bit of advice we recently learned from an industry friend is to hire slow and fire fast. Meaning take your time with multiple interviews, then have a working interview... make sure the employee is a good fit with your existing team before bringing them on. Then if you feel that someone isn't a good fit, don't wait around, find someone else.

On hiring an accountant…

We have been incredibly fortunate in that Tiffany's mother-in-law is a CPA (certified public accountant) and has done our bookkeeping and taxes up to this point. She is an actual angel on earth. As of 2020, we have switched our bookkeeping over to Bench.com to take a bit off of her plate and it has been a great resource for us, super user friendly and great customer service.

On the biggest learning curve…

The biggest learning curve has been knowing where to spend money. Something that we've struggled with for a long time (and still do if we're being honest) is knowing that just because something is pretty or we like it, doesn't mean it will rent. We have to think about every item in our collection as if it is paying rent to be in our warehouse, so if it doesn't pull its weight, it's got to go! When sourcing, we try to keep this in mind: Will clients have a use for this? Will they like it? Does it fit with our existing aesthetic? If the answers are yes, then we can pull the trigger and purchase the item. And if not, well then we can admire it from afar.

“Save, save, save. Then you can really invest in what’s going to make a positive financial impact on your business.”

On having a business coach…

We've never had a business coach, but this is something that we have given some serious thought. I think it would help us in so many ways; from employee management to big picture goals, finances and budgeting. We do think it could help us organize all of the important things that race around our heads on a daily basis and implement ways to get each thing accomplished.

On PR and marketing…

Instagram. I mean, seriously... what business doesn't rely on that platform these days. Instagram is definitely how we got started, but then the dreaded algorithm had to go and eff everyone up. Among other avenues, we now rely a lot on word-of-mouth and testimonials. Reviews can do wonders for a small business so we've put a lot of effort into having overwhelmingly positive experiences with clients and requesting feedback from them after their event. We look at it like this—when was the last time you bought something important and didn't read the reviews on it? And if you did read the reviews, which ones helped sway you to purchase that item? Those are the reviews we hope to get from our clients and we feel like they have absolutely helped sway interested clients into booking with us.

On the one thing, they didn’t do (but wish they had)…

We did everything the hard way. You'd think that the first thing two lanky young girls would do when having to move insanely heavy furniture all the time would be to invest in some dolly's or some kind of straps to make our lives easier... but no. There's that cute saying "work smarter, not harder", let’s just say it took us a long time to work smarter. Another perfect example of this is it took us four years to implement canned responses in our emails. That’s four years of writing the same email over and over and over again, wasting countless hours when the answer was so simple. Our advice? Find ways to simplify and automate processes within your business. You'll thank yourself later.

Photo: Courtesy of Witty Rentals

On their best business advice…

Chelsea: We've learned over the years that it's not in our nature to be business owners. I am an introvert, I love my downtime, I can confidently say that I'm lazy by nature, it's hard for me to self-motivate, I procrastinate—give me four seasons of a show and a bag of chips and I'm your girl (as two loads of laundry currently sit unfolded in the basket (I'll get to them later, okay?). But I didn't let that stop me. I just found the perfect counterpart. Someone who encourages me and motivates me to be a better version of myself. And I hope she'd say that I balance her out in all of the right ways as well.

My advice would be, don't try to do it alone. Whatever it is you want to start, have a partner, find someone who has strengths that you don't have—the yin to your yang. I know for a fact that we wouldn't be here today if just one or the other of us started this alone. We've relied on each other heavily every step of the way and we still do today.

Tiffany: Yes, I agree. Finding a business partner who has different strengths and qualities than you is crucial. I would say that I am more of a dreamer/visionary type. I love to think about big picture ideas or steps we can take in the business to encourage growth. Put a spreadsheet in front of me and I literally shut down inside. This is why Chelsea balances me so well because she could create spreadsheets all day long and they bring her so much joy.

I also think part of why our business relationship works are because neither of us is super stubborn. If we disagree on things we are both willing to communicate and comprise easily. If you are considering starting a business I think it's important to take your time and be very selective with who you go into business with. Also, creating a partnership agreement and specific roles for each other is crucial so that you are both in charge of separate roles within the business. 

On their one piece of financial advice…

Use your savings account. You never know when you'll have an unexpected expense or need to make a big purchase. One example for us was buying a large number of chairs unexpectedly. If we had to put $20k on a credit card that would have been our absolute last choice, but luckily, we had saved for just that. Save, save, save. Then you can really invest in what's going to make a positive financial impact on your business.

Oh, and another thing would be to charge for your services. Don't offer a discount just because you think you should. Make sure you're charging enough, not lowballing the market or being taken advantage of. Do your homework and see what others in your industry are doing around you, and hey even if you want to charge a bit more because that’s the quality of your work, go for it. You're worth it.

Photo: Courtesy of Witty Rentals

On the advice, they’d give themselves…

Save more! Our long term goal has always been to buy a property and be able to store our collection there instead of dumping thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars down the drain for rent. If we were really motivated, we could have done it already, but we haven't given it our all, so we're still renting.

On working with a co-founder…

Tiffany: People say never go into business with friends or family. I can understand why people say that—you don't want your relationship to crumble if the business does, or maybe you'll start to hate each other down the road—and trust me, I've seen that happen in this industry specifically. But for us, it's been all about communication. Our partnership is just like a marriage, you have to work at it and make sure that things are talked about and your feelings are being seen and heard. Again, this is where our differences have helped us monumentally. Chelsea despises confrontation.

Chelsea: Yeah, I'll do anything to avoid it, and it's in my nature to sweep it under the rug. Tiffany has been our saving grace in this area, forcing me to share how I'm feeling, telling me point blank if I've hurt hers. And because of that, we have been able to maintain a friendship above and beyond the business.

Tiffany: That’s true, but at the same time Chelsea's ability to compromise prevents us from getting into needless conflict, so she really does help us balance each other out. She’s definitely more than a business partner, like my second life partner, haha.

Visit Witty Rentals and learn more about their unique furniture rental company at wittyrentals.com.

MORE FROM THE BLOG

5 Things to Do While Self-Quarantining Without Buying a Single Thing

Photo: Alex Gállego for Pexels

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our normal lives have come to a grinding halt. Beyond streaming our go-to TV shows for hours on end, there’s a lot more we can do during this downtime that will help retrain our minds and help us live our life, even beyond this period of quarantine.

So often, when we are looking to grow, change, or shift something in our lives, we are looking outside of ourselves. But, the truth is, everything you need to continue your growth journey is within you—and within arm’s reach. All you need is passion, interest, and a few simple strategies that’ll help you find what works for you. 

Here are some simple things you can do to shift your mindset in order to stimulate growth, without spending a dime.

1. Try cooking a new recipe.

This incredible resource allows you to discover new recipes by listing the ingredients you have in your pantry, fridge, or freezer. If you're at a loss of what to make, this is a great way to shop what you already have and try something new, too.

Personally, every morning, I come up with some type of frittata using leftover vegetables, protein, and eggs. You can also use frozen veggies if you are trying to clean out your freezer. 

2. Refresh your living space.

Beyond spring cleaning, try changing the layout of your space as well. It sounds simple but reorganizing furniture or décor can provide your brain with a really satisfying sense of change (without spending any money on new pieces.) You would be surprised how much this can act as a refresh during quarantine. 

Now that I’m home a lot more, I’ve rearranged three rooms already. It’s been nice to re-think the space I have and make it feel new again. I have also used this time to clean out my pantries, fridge, and my kids’ play areas. I’ve cleaned out so much, I feel like every room is new.

3. Pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read (instead of buying a new one).

Psychologically speaking, we get a rush when making purchases. Buying new things, even when we have something similar at home, gives us temporary satisfaction. We can use this time to work on that, challenging ourselves with a "no buy" mandate (because, well, it's sort of the only option) and getting enjoyment from actually using things up.

Instead of focusing on the next purchase, we can simultaneously produce less waste, reduce clutter, save money, and shift our mindsets. Books take up a lot of space in our rooms as well as storage. We are reading a lot more these days and are finding books we forgot to start or stories we want to read again. 

4. Learn a new skill.

I don't suggest putting too much pressure on yourself to be productive during quarantine, but if there's something you've been putting off doing due to a lack of time, now is a good chance to start.

Download Duolingo to work on learning a new language, watch free online videos to help you become more flexible, or bake the bread you've been seeing everyone make on Instagram.

For me, this is improving recipes, testing new ones, and adding twists to ones I use today in order to support immunity.

5. Connect (virtually) with your family and friends.

Throw a happy hour via Zoom. Download Houseparty to connect with your friends. FaceTime with your family during dinner. These circumstances make us truly value the people in our lives.

With Marco Polo, you can leave video messages with friends and family. This allows you to connect face-to-face but asynchronously. I’ve been celebrating birthdays over Zoom and scheduling virtual coffee dates and lunch meet-ups with my friends and family.

About the Author: Nora McCaffrey is the Chief Academic Officer at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She oversees all academic components to IIN’s course offerings. Prior to joining IIN, she trained at the Institute for Culinary Education in culinary arts and ran her own catering business in Brooklyn, NY, providing healthy food options for private events, school events, and meal deliveries. 

To support her health focus, she became an IIN health coach and later decided to join the IIN team. In 2017, she obtained a master’s degree in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. Her experience and education help her to continuously improve and innovate course offerings and learning platforms

Nora is from Brooklyn, NY and now lives with her wife, Helen, and two kids in Maplewood, NJ. As a lifelong foodie, Nora supports local farmers and restaurants to feed her family.  

MORE ON THE BLOG